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Japanese Cafe Found A Way To Employ Paralysed People As Waiters

Robot waiters are not a new concept in the technology sphere. They are already used in several cafes, such as Naulo restaurant in Nepal which has employed three humanoid waiters called ‘Gingers’. However, a startup Ory Lab has taken this concept to brand new level.

More info: orylab.com | arca-gia.com

This month a Dawn Ver Beta cafe was opened up Tokyo, Japan for two weeks. It used Orly Lab’s robots to serve customers and the most brilliant part about the cafe is that all of the robots were remotely controlled by severely disabled people, for the sole purpose of helping disabled people gain more independence in their lives.

Japanese Cafe Found A Way To Employ Paralysed People As Waiters

There were 10 people working at the cafe. The employees suffered from diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other spinal cord injuries. They operated 4-foot robots called OriHime-D, from their home and were paid 1,000 yen ($9) per hour.

Japanese Cafe Found A Way To Employ Paralysed People As Waiters

The robots were controlled with the help of a computer which tracks the eye movements of bed-bound people. It allowed them to move robots, make them pick up objects and even talk to customers. Essentially, disabled people had the ability to use these robots as ‘proxies’. “I want to create a world in which people who can’t move their bodies can work too,” said Kentaro Yoshifuji, CEO of Ory Lab. Inc.

Japanese Cafe Found A Way To Employ Paralysed People As Waiters

However this cafe, as its name suggests, was only in the beta stage for a couple of weeks. The creators are still raising funds to open the cafe permanently for 2020.

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What do you think ?

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Buzz Anderson 5 years ago

Outstanding. Whoever came up with the idea. May he be blessed for all his or her years.

88points

blugeagua 5 years ago

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BusLady 5 years ago (edited)

This is great. Being able to work and draw a paycheck is such a satisfying thing. What a difference it makes to these people's lives.

50points

Jerome Goodwin 5 years ago

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Cassie 5 years ago

This is awesome.

28points

bubamara 5 years ago

Where is Japan....way ahead, ahead......!!!!!!

12points

Vonskippy 5 years ago

Not even close, Japan has almost zero welfare programs to help their disabled or handicap citizens, or their homeless. Like most problems in Japan, the official government stance is to ignore it like it doesn't exist.

11points

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M O'Connell 5 years ago

The Japanese, what will they think of next! This is a marvelous concept, 1000 upvotes!

9points

Night Owl 5 years ago

Wow! This is great!

6points

FortnitePlayerGirl 5 years ago

This is cool!

4points

Si 5 years ago

What starts out as an option ends up as a duty.

3points

Kururi.Orihara 5 years ago

Japan is always ahead in technology.

2points

Heather Rennie 5 years ago

I applaud this idea. I really hope this gets off the ground and become a permanent feature. I think it would help a lot of disabled people who are house bound or bedbound to feel they are needed. I hope to see something like this all over the world.

2points

Turnip and a Frog 5 years ago

Such a smart and humane idea. From what I’ve read, severely disabled people often think of undergoing euthanasia. Many of these thoughts are spurred by the sense of helplessness of a life at the fringes of the able-bodied (a vague term, yet just a requisite here) society. I think it’s such a brilliant way to incorporate them back, make them feel in-clusive, active, not abandoned. This white avatar robot clients interact with does not dehumanise the bed-ridden operators, but makes clients treat them without prejudice. It’s paradoxical, however, that it is the machine, a robot, that makes them “regain” their social functions and “brings them back” to the society.

2points

Wietse Pot 5 years ago

Stories like this make me happy to be alive in this day and age, where sci-fi becomes a reality for the benefit of mankind

2points

Cookie Monster 5 years ago

I know many handicapped people. Think they'd really enjoy working this way. Not everyone has the opportunity to work from home. Could also become an option for older people who want to work a little so they don't become depressed.

2points

Liam Walsh 5 years ago

I do as well and they are not all keen on this. There are fears as to how much of a choice they will have.

3points

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Pavel Nekoranec 5 years ago

Did anyone seen Black Mirror? I don't know what to think.

2points

Vivi-Mari Carpelan 5 years ago

Didn’t get around to seeing it yet, but this is really sick. You have barely any kind of life at all and then you’re pressured to live as a robot that serves people, wtf??

-2points

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Meowton Mewsk 5 years ago

Things like this are so awesome that they make me angry at people who deny science. Without science, we wouldn’t have incredible things like this.

1point

Liam Walsh 5 years ago

This! This is Technology!

0points

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Freya the Wanderer 5 years ago

One way to keep automation from taking away all jobs. Recently I was in an office that had a virtual receptionist, a great big interactive screen, instead of an actual human being. Fiddle! I want to deal with a PERSON, not a machine!

1point

joni spigler 5 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

Catmeres 5 years ago

This is amazing!! I love technology sometimes

0points

Tony Moon 5 years ago

I can't love this idea enough!

0points

Jerome Goodwin 5 years ago

If I had the money I would be quick to invest in that.

0points

Cheethra 5 years ago

I see there are pros and cons here. But this job is not mandatory right? Disabled people can choose. If this job is good for his/her well being then do it. If it's not then leave it. But somehow I still feel like this innovation has made for positive purpose.

0points

Aleshanee 5 years ago

Wow! This one is a crazy idea! The video is a bit creepy but i see the point of helping people with such serious illness.

0points

Fixin'Ta 5 years ago

Beautiful! What a blessing for those people to be able to feel useful again. I love this.

0points

Liliana P 5 years ago

Smart project. i hope they succeed.

0points

Vivi-Mari Carpelan 5 years ago

What a nightmare, as if it’s not bad enough to be bedbound and immobilised, then you’re asked to contribute to society without any other benefit than some money in the bank. Living your life through a robot who supposedly ‘connects’ with other people?? Seriously.

0points

Linouchka 99 5 years ago

Ah, thanks, I thought I was the only one...

2points

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Si 5 years ago

I agree, this is very dark.

2points

A Dyke From The Dreamworld 5 years ago

If you haven't already noticed, everyone in the world is asked to contribute to society without any other benefit than some money in the bank.

0points

blugeagua 5 years ago

Lios, I’m sure they do hire men. We just didn’t see any in the advertisement.

0points

Nicole Griessel 5 years ago

That is so awesome that they are doing this for them.

0points

Grumble O'Pug 5 years ago

This is what I love about Japan.

0points

Perseida Borealis 5 years ago (edited)

I love you, Japan. Thanks for being weird and cool while the whole world is too busy cancelling people that don't 'fit in'.

0points

Mike Chin 5 years ago

Umm yeah, definitely not. There massive pressure to fit in japanese society. Foreigners are treated nicely because they're seen as exotic zoo animals. I have a japanese female friend that tells me she's happy to be back from japan because she feels ostracized for being 5'4", 2 inches above norm. Imagine how much worse it is for girl growing up really above norm like 5'8"-6" tall

4points

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Linouchka 99 5 years ago

I don't think this is so great at all : if you ppush the concept far enough, soon there will be no excuse at all for not working. Are we really in this world for the purpose of working and being paid money ? Is this what life is ? Even paralyzed in your hospital bed, you still have to "go to work" every morning ? It makes me shiver...

-1point

Amber Hill 5 years ago

I can't wait until they can transfer human consciousness into machines.

-1point

yikes 5 years ago

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Vonskippy 5 years ago

Tell that to their homeless, or their senior citizens, or their unemployed, or pretty much any foreign resident that needs help in one way or another. Japan is a country of xenophobic racists that worry more about face and tradition then helping.

3points

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Buzz Anderson 5 years ago

Outstanding. Whoever came up with the idea. May he be blessed for all his or her years.

88points

blugeagua 5 years ago

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BusLady 5 years ago (edited)

This is great. Being able to work and draw a paycheck is such a satisfying thing. What a difference it makes to these people's lives.

50points

Jerome Goodwin 5 years ago

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Cassie 5 years ago

This is awesome.

28points

bubamara 5 years ago

Where is Japan....way ahead, ahead......!!!!!!

12points

Vonskippy 5 years ago

11points

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M O'Connell 5 years ago

The Japanese, what will they think of next! This is a marvelous concept, 1000 upvotes!

9points

Night Owl 5 years ago

Wow! This is great!

6points

FortnitePlayerGirl 5 years ago

This is cool!

4points

Si 5 years ago

What starts out as an option ends up as a duty.

3points

Kururi.Orihara 5 years ago

Japan is always ahead in technology.

2points

Heather Rennie 5 years ago

2points

Turnip and a Frog 5 years ago

2points

Wietse Pot 5 years ago

Stories like this make me happy to be alive in this day and age, where sci-fi becomes a reality for the benefit of mankind

2points

Cookie Monster 5 years ago

2points

Liam Walsh 5 years ago

I do as well and they are not all keen on this. There are fears as to how much of a choice they will have.

3points

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Pavel Nekoranec 5 years ago

Did anyone seen Black Mirror? I don't know what to think.

2points

Vivi-Mari Carpelan 5 years ago

Didn’t get around to seeing it yet, but this is really sick. You have barely any kind of life at all and then you’re pressured to live as a robot that serves people, wtf??

-2points

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